Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Where does the time go?! Days seem to fly by and I hardly know where they've gone! On Friday I need to have the kids, Joe and myself packed up for the first annual Blog Union in Hermosa Beach and I still feel as though we just returned from Colorado. Whew... packing and unpacking is tiring. Mix into that some showings on the house (and racing around picking up toys, tidying and cleaning before each), some wonderful visitors, a trip to Burbank for the kids big TV debut filming, sewing cloth diaper inserts every "free" moment I get and some other randomness and I guess that's why I feel like life's a constant whirlwind now. :-D In a good way though.

I really enjoy moments when one of the babies is still sleeping and the other is awake for me to dote on. This happens sometimes if I get into the nursery quickly enough to swoop up the talkative, freshly awoken baby before their play sounds wake the other up. Today, it was Olivia that I got to enjoy for about a half an hour before Ezra awoke. She had just finished enjoying her lunch of homemade green beans and butternut squash and a bottle when the real excitement of the day began. I was talking away with Livi and walking back towards her (in her high chair) after rinsing off a rag when it began. Slowly at first... like a low, rumbling semi-truck approaching the house... and then into a full on rolling, shaking, quaking everything. Yep, that's right. It was an earthquake. Not our first since moving to California, but the biggest! It was a 5.4 magnitude... not too shabby! The chandelier was rocking, the dogs began barking and howling, and mommy began to PANIC!

I have enjoyed previous earthquakes... they were small and just enough to be "exciting." This time was different though. As I stood frozen in place watching my sweet Olivia I was TORN. Do I run upstairs to Ezra (who was presumably sleeping) to be sure he was okay, or do I stay with Olivia? The quake lasted about 30 seconds or so, but long enough for me to bolt up the stairs (after ensuring nothing around Olivia could fall and hit her) and hover over my sleeping boy (STILL SLEEPING?!??! Dogs barking, house shaking and creaking... wow) and observe his surroundings to be sure nothing would fall on him. We'd been sure that things hanging over his bed were "earthquake" safe, but having the safety tested whilst he slept below them was another story for me. Thankfully nothing fell and the earthquake ended without Ezra or Olivia getting scared. It's forced me to consider what I WILL do though if one happens again... especially if they're in separate parts of the house. Any suggestions from earthquake savvy people?? Stay inside, go outside, what to do, what to do? I've heard so many things, but most seem to conflict.

After I finish this post I'm going to upload a video I took of Olivia on July 21... her 7 month birthday. She began crawling 3 days before the video... and has come a long way SINCE the video was taken. She's beginning to pull up on things, but can only get to her knees and is working on getting her foot under her to stand up. I know cruising isn't far off... she can stand so well with very little assistance already! Ezra isn't too far behind. He's spending more and more time on all fours and is now rocking forward and backward. He's even lifted up a hand a couple of times and set it down farther forward and a few times and skooched his knees forward under him. He has also pushed himself backward into a partial sitting position. I think he'll be joining the ranks of mobile babies in no time at all (2-3 weeks or less maybe???).

A highlight of our weekend was seeing my uncle and my cousin! My cousin recently moved to Santa Monica from Chicago, and I hadn't seen him in a couple of years. It was great catching up and hearing about his new job out here. Ezra initiated him from the get-go with a nice big spit up all down the front of his shirt (missed the burp cloth COMPLETELY... go figure). Sorry about that Kyle! The weirdest thing was that after Ezra covered Kyle in spew, he lost it. Joe set him on the ground to help Kyle clean up and Ezra began screaming. He carried on and on. He was a baby possessed. I still have no clue what that was about. Joe tried consoling him, and when that didn't work I gave it a shot. I got him somewhat calmed down, but still not happy and fuss-free. I gave him Hylands Teething tablets (just in case it was a sudden onset of teething pain), snuggled him, danced with him, everything we'd normally do to get him happy. It was bizarre. He hadn't napped well that morning... so I'm hoping that was all it was. Poor guy.

Now... for their big moment of TV stardom. Tune your TVs to ABC on October 22 (the fourth episode of the season) to watch Pushing Daisies. I can't tell the plot or what will be happening, but let's just say both Ezra and Olivia will have brief but up close and personal moments on camera. Come to think of it.... I had to get up close and personal with the camera by draping my body over it while trying to get Livi to smile and look at the camera for her big shot. I'd had no clue that they'd want ME on set. ;-) The filming took place at Warner Brothers Studio and I was required to have one adult over 18 per child. So, luckily for me the kids wonderful Tia Claudia was able to come. Claudia and I had a blast wandering around the studios. We got to go on a bunch of sets (Two and a Half Men was gearing up to begin filming again in the next week, Terminator - Sara Connor Chronicles, etc). Heck, we even got to see the stage where Friends was filmed! It was really neat. Oh, and the kids got a trailer! Yep, true stars already with their OWN dressing trailer. Never mind that the thing wreaked of smoke... it was still just for them, whereas most of the actors has to share dressing trailers and only the leads had their own!!!

The neatest part was how nice everyone was. From the director, AD, cameramen, crew, actors/actresses... they were all so nice. The kids were treated like stars and had so many people ogling over them. I hope it'll be a fun thing for them to be able to look back on when they're older.

Better get back to sewing diapers. I hope to have enough completed to begin using them tomorrow! That's a post in itself... I'll try and get photos of them uploaded as well as our cloth diapering "plan." I'm so excited to get started! Thanks again for the encouragement and diaper insert instructions!

To those of you attending the B.U. (blog union) this weekend... can't wait to see you/meet you there!!!! :-D